The Last Line
by esther247
Summary: Another side story from Legacy; the twin's past and Dick&Zatanna's future. Dick gets shot in the Grayson home and Zatanna meets him at the precinct. How do former heroes protect the only thing they've ever wanted (family) when things go awry?


Zatanna burst into the precinct and locked eyes on him immediately, her heart skipped a beat before leaping into a sprinting cadence that matched her quickening legs. He was standing in front of a medic laughing even though his bare chest was exposed and covered in red blotches that were sure to turn into bruises and his right shoulder blade was wrapped in gauze.

"Ms. Grayson" she heard in passing as she accidentally shoved past another cop. He had just turned his head at the sound of her name when she locked her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hot-blooded kiss.

Wolf whistles and applause erupted in the precinct as well as a few unsavory comments but they ignored them.

"Get a room Grayson!"

"Now that's how you salute an officer!"

"That lucky son of a bitch."

Zatanna could feel the smile that pulled at his lips just as he pulled away, sliding his left arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"Zee," he breathed.

The precinct was a buzz with noise and a scarlet fire lit a path across Zatanna's face. He escorted her into his office, and was smiling broadly when he turned around to face his audience. "Real classy fellas! Real classy." He said closing the door.

He hadn't even finished turning around when she roped him into another fiery make out session. He winced as she grabbed his shoulder blade but made no move to pull away from her. He could feel the heat radiating from her face, the cool tears that fell off her long lashes, and the gasps of air she took when for less than what seemed like mere seconds their lips broke apart.

He pulled away and she kissed his jaw, neck, and shoulder, greedily.

"Zee," he breathed, "it's okay. I'm okay."

She started sobbing then and brought her face to his chest. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her to his chest.

"It's okay." he said again.

She nodded, "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." She said through her tears. "Are you okay?"

Dick kissed her on the lips quickly, "Never better." He promised.

She cocked a brow at him and he smirked, "Okay," he allowed, "I've had better days, but any day your lips are on mine are always good days."

She looked at him with patient but tired eyes and he sighed. "What happened? How'd he even get in?" she asked desperately.

The Grayson home had one entrance, the front door. It was one of Dick's requirements when they went home hunting after Zatanna found out she was pregnant. The house had one door and several escape routes that he had built in himself because even as a retired hero, Dick couldn't help but want to know every possible escape route or entry point; he was a bat after all.

"He knocked." Dick admitted with chagrin. "And I opened the door, the kids were in the training room. They don't even know what happened. By the time the gun went off, he was practically gone; running down the hall. The alarm went off, the house locked down and ten minutes later the guys (police) showed up." He said in a low voice.

Zatanna pressed the palm of her hand against her lips, a stress habit she formed as a kid instead of chewing her nails. He took her hand from her lips and brought them to his own lips. "They're safe Zee, Wyette and John are with Alfred right now and Alfred knows how to use my weapons better than I do." He joked. He resisted the urge to sigh when she didn't laugh, "The house is still on lockdown, not even the man of steel could break in and you know I'm not joking."

This seemed to relax her a bit.

"Did you recognize him?" she asked as he took a seat on the edge of his desk.

"No, but Alfred's running facial recognition software against the apartment security camera's and our security camera's." He said as he pulled her into his lap. "If he's on any system anywhere, we'll find him."

Zatanna stayed silent, her mind racing. "Hey," he said planting a kiss on the exposed crook of her neck, "everything's okay."

Despite her nerves feeling fray, her body started to relax under his touch. "Dick, we used to be superheroes. You're a lead detective and I am literally the mistress of magic; if our combined security isn't enough; what is?" she asked seriously.

Dick rubbed her shoulders soothingly, "Zee, we've got nearly as much security as the watchtower and the batcave, in addition to that we have your magic. The house is all but impenetrable. He didn't even break in, I opened the door for him, that doesn't count. We're safe, they're safe. This was a coincidence."

Zatanna turned to face him, "Fate; Dick. You know I don't believe in coincidences, but Fate is all too real." She said, her double entendre hanging in the air.

He took a deep breath, "Then we'll enhance security, if it'll make you feel better." He offered.

"It won't" she confessed. "What if it's not enough, Dick.? What if everything we're doing isn't enough?" She asked suddenly.

Dick took both her hands and put them one on his wounded shoulder and over his heart. "Then there's me." He reminded her.

"The last line of defense." She whispered in hollow voice.

"I'd die before I let anything happen to them Zee, to us." he said looking into her cyan blue eyes. "So don't worry."

She studied his face before nodding and wiping away her drying tears. "Okay" she agreed slowly, "If you let me be the last line." She countered.

Dick looked at her with feigned incredulity, "Mistress of magic," she said in an obvious tone, "I've literally got more fire power. I would obviously stand a much better chance."

Dick pursed his lips in thought, "I'll think about it." He said.

Zatanna opened her mouth to argue and then thought better of it. "We'll leave it to fate." She said.

Dick rolled his eyes, "Something tells me, he prefers you to me." Zatanna laughed.

She brought their lips together again, this time her kiss sweeter. "I love you."

"I evol ouy." He said in return, Zatanna smiled and intertwined their fingers.

"Let's go home," she whispered.

Dick squeezed her hand softly, "I'm already there."


End file.
